IF not completely forgotten, the unique and historic Victorian arcade in the heart of Rossendale that a century ago was the brainchild of the Valley's 'slipper king' Sir Henry Trickett, is a neglected gem today.

For though exterior shops of Trickett's Arcade -- now known as Victoria Parade -- in the centre of Waterfoot are in use, those in the interior have stood empty for almost half a century.

This is a pity not only because the footwear mogul's imposing triangular building is an important aspect of Rossendale's heritage -- 15,000 turned flocked to its opening in 1899 and it was famed as the only concern in the Valley to generate its own electricity.

But with its eight-shop interior and central feature resembling a Victorian bandstand out of use and out of sight for so long, the building's considerable promise as a retail and visitor attraction for Rossendale was also being lost.

Now, for the first time since the 1950s, this hidden treasure is being realised and marketed -- at knock-down rents that might attract businesses or developers with flair and vision.

It is an opportunity that should be seized. East Lancashire has already lost too much of its architectural heritage through neglect and the failure to realise its potential as accommodation for modern-day enterprise threatens the decline and loss of still more of our grand old buildings.

But just as the bold scheme to revive the historical Pavilions buildings in Blackburn's town centre shows, with vision and commitment, these treasures can be restored and put to exciting new uses that revive not just the buildings themselves, but the economies of the towns that they grace. On the day Trickett's Arcade was unveiled, a golden key was used to open the gates to it interior.

Opening it again could be the key to regeneration in Rossendale.